"Sony executives said it could take several years to transform the company. And one question is how long Sir Howard himself can maintain his relentless pace. He is undergoing treatment for a degeneration of his left eye, a condition that makes it difficult for him to indulge in one of his passions: collecting and reading rare books. Doctors have told him that his travel schedule does not affect the condition, but there is a 50 percent chance that it could spread to his other eye within five years. "It's not irreversible," he said, but added: "If it went into the other eye, that would be depressing."

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